It Happens Daily...

It happens daily. I get up. I pad out to the kitchen and give the cat's their treats , go back to the bedroom and get dressed. And before breakfast, before coffee, before the cobwebs have even cleared from my brain or the sleep from my eyes I head out for my walk.

It is nearly 3 miles round trip, give or take. Not a very exciting walk, not a lot to really see of interest, but it is what I see daily. I try to keep it interesting by looking around, looking up , paying attention to all that is around me. Sometimes it helps, other times not so much. Hard to stay motivated day in and day out, rain or shine to get out there and do it. But do it I MUST!

To keep my sanity. To help in loosening up the body and keep it active. To not give in to the fibromyalgia that I hurt from 24-7 and to take my mind off my aching, throbbing teeth or whatever else is going on in my life day to day. I allow my mind to wonder. I allow it to clear up and clear out and I also use the time to dream my day dreams and talk to God as well. He is a very good companion....never walks too fast or two slow unlike physical walking partners.

I have a friend who had given me a project to photograph what is around me. We always argue that the others is a better place or has more to see or what have you. So to prove to him that I think he is the luckier one and that I am not fibbing that what I see daily is very uninspiring , I am writing this blog and sharing the photos from the moment I walk out our door , till I arrive right back at it one hour later. The photo at the top was taken this morning, first rainy day walk and time to break in the boots....but the rest of the photos are from yesterday when there was a bit of sun in the sky still. You must forgive the quality. I am using my husbands computer and can not seem to get the hang of editing photos in his system ....Anyway, so here we go....this is for you Nigel, my new friend.

So , after gearing up ...water, phone , ID and Credit Card , tissues and keys CHECK, I am out the door.... I walk down the stairs and around the corner.....

 Down the alley way to the front of the complex.....

 ....Towards the street.....

 Making a right turn to walk past the school.....Normally there is more children and cars about on a weekday, but I got an earlier start. I usually have to dodge cars, children, parents all trying to come and go in a hurry.

Below is the path I take past the school.....

 The elementary school across the street from where we live....

 Thank Goodness for the crossing guard you can see in the distance. The parents are crazy , in a hurry drivers and often nearly run us walkers down!

 After crossing then making a left and crossing again, I head down the next street on my journey......

 Directly across the street is a big open field that has a path that borders the school, the local park area and leads to the shopping center that I often mention going to where there is a market that our youngest works at and where we go to just sit and people watch .....

 Often I will see many Jack Rabbits bounding around the open field. I once saw nearly a dozen all at once!This field never greens up, very much it is always one shade or another of gold.

 Made my way to another intersection....this one is VERY busy and you have to be very careful when when the walking sign says "GO" cause the cars will too! Forty seconds rush by and you can barely make it most days.

 On I go, through the neighborhood that offers some quiet and about here I always drink about half my bottle of water...It is a must to empty it before I reach the gas station where I buy coffee.

 Drinking icy water on a cold day, not as enjoyable and refreshing ...but it has to be done.

 Another sidewalk....yes, they all do begin to look the same , especially day in and day out of walking .

 Sometimes I turn right....

  Sometimes I go left.....

 Either way it goes past the park in the center.....

There always seems to be joggers and walkers and people playing with their dogs here , but today it was just a bit too chilly or early to come across anyone.

 Ah! Someone is in the holiday spirit of things!

 Continuing on past the condos .....

 I am lucky enough to find one tree with a bit of Autumn color!

 I continue on past the town homes......These are similar to ones I always dream of living in just a couple miles away.

 I eventually reach the main road, out of the neighborhood back streets and amongst the traffic again, I make my next right turn and continue on .

 and on towards the REALLY busy intersection and in a few minutes into the next town over, and then back out again all in a matter of minutes LOL ! Oh and if you make a right, just a couple blocks up in another apartment complex our youngest daughter lives with her friends. By the time I reach the corner , it is also the half way point in my walk...

 Here we go, we walked into another city, and across the street and then back into our's !

 Even though there is a lot of concrete and asphalt, the cities do try to add some life....

 On we continue back towards home....we have a ways to go.....and a slight incline now, so helps tone a few things.

 The cars rush by on the hwy to my right , offering a white noise to things.

 This is one of my fav sections, just love the trees and how the sunlight dapples through them, and on a hot day they offer a bit of a break from the sun and heat.

 Plus it leads to one of my fav shopping stores....

 On we continue, past parking lots and strip malls.....

 Looking up, the sky is glorious this morning!

 Just a little more life tucked in ....

 Getting closer to coffee and home...that is the shopping center again that I passed in the beginning...and the busy intersection us upon us yet again...

 As soon as the light changes....

 FINALLY ! Time for coffee!!

 And sometimes a doughnut...wish they had chocolate....

 Guess Maple will have to do.

 Even gas stations have a bit of life added.....

 Now I can slow down a bit, sip my coffee and head on up the hill towards home.

 Trying to spot beauty that is hidden or less noticed...I love the draping vines between the buildings.

 This is the very large indoor pool area right across the street from where I walk by and across the park from our complex.

 There is the hardware store to my right as I walk by, works out nicely for seasonal flowers . Here is another grocery store..it is open 24 hours a day and is always busy too!

 in the distance I see home.

 Nearly there, just a couple blocks....

 A view of the park across the street, next to the school we passed at the beginning.

Rememberingonce again to look up.....You never know what you will see.

 Back to the entrance of the complex....

 Towards the alley that leads to our apartment....

 Up the stairs....

And home once again........

So that is what I see each and every morning, day in , day out ...not the worst scenery, but not the most exciting either. But I enjoy my walks and I am grateful there is an area that is safe for me to take them...and has coffee along the way too!